Aim: To determine whether Z scores can be used to predict the likelihood of patients having a secondary cause of low bone mineral density. Methods: A retrospective cross sectional study was conducted among 136 consecutive patients with osteoporosis at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, UK, between 1998-2002. Results: 20.5% of female patients in this study were identified with previously unrecognised contributors to the low bone mineral density. In women, at a Z score cut-off of -1, the sensitivity of detecting a secondary cause for osteoporosis is 87.5% with a positive predictive value of 29.2%. Conclusion: In women, a Z score of -1 would identify a majority of patients with a secondary cause for low bone mineral density and identifies patients who would especially benefit from a thorough history and clinical examination.
CITATION STYLE
Swaminathan, K., Flynn, R., Garton, M., Paterson, C., & Leese, G. (2009). Search for secondary osteoporosis: Are Z scores useful predictors? Postgraduate Medical Journal, 85(999), 38–39. https://doi.org/10.1136/pgmj.2007.065748
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